How a Dental Crown can Protect a Cracked Tooth:

In our Edmonton based dental clinic, a crown can be placed by your dentist.  A tooth usually needs a crown after it has been cracked. The most common cause of a cracked tooth is due to amalgam (silver) fillings that contain mercury. Mercury expands and contracts. That’s why it was used in thermometers. When the temperature increases, the mercury is warmed and it expands, sliding up the thermometer to show warmer temperatures. When it’s cooled, it contracts, which causes it to move down the thermometer.

Amalgam fillings expand when you drink hot beverages like coffee and tea. When you eat ice cream or sip a beverage with ice cubes, these fillings contract. These movements can cause cracks in your teeth. When a tooth is weakened by a fracture line, large chunks of your tooth can break off. When this happens, you’ll have to have an emergency visit to one of our 10 clinics. If it’s a small break it can be repaired by a larger fillings or crown but if it’s a larger break, in some cases the tooth may need to be removed. For this reason, you won’t find a dentist in our Edmonton clinics who will place amalgam. We use composite, or white fillings.

How do you know if your tooth is cracked and needs a crown?

• Your dentist can check your teeth with a special light that shows crack lines more clearly. We have this special Microlux light at all 10 locations of our Edmonton dental clinics.
• Teeth with large fillings can be protected with a crown. A dental crown is a ceramic cap that completely covers the tooth and is permanently cemented and sealed to your tooth.

For more information, or to find your nearest Edmonton Dentist, call 780-dentist.